Cartier does not publish a caliber numbered 4004. The number sits on seller listings for a copy of the Rotonde de Cartier case, paired with a third-party automatic movement. Treat 4004 as a vendor code, not a factory reference.
What the Rotonde case looks like
The Rotonde de Cartier is a round dress watch. Common traits: a 40mm to 45mm case, a domed crystal, a guilloche or flinque dial, Roman numerals, and blued steel hands. Cartier builds these cases in steel, pink gold, yellow gold and white gold. Genuine calibers carry the MC suffix, such as 1904 MC, 430 MC and 9452 MC.
cartier rotonde 4004 watch replica
A replica listing marked 4004 copies the outside of that case. The inside is a different product.
Movement inside a copy
- Most units run a Chinese automatic at 21,600 vph (3 Hz) with a 38 to 42 hour power reserve.
- A date window at 3 o'clock is common. Genuine Rotonde models often place the date at 3 or use no date at all.
- Some sellers add a decorated rotor and Geneva stripes. The base plate stays Asian.
- No copy movement carries the Poincon de Geneve stamp that Cartier holds on selected Rotonde pieces.
Ask for a photo of the movement with the caseback removed. A seller who refuses is a seller to skip.
Case, dial and crystal specs to confirm
- Case diameter and thickness in millimeters, measured with calipers and photographed.
- Crystal material. Sapphire on mid and top tiers, mineral glass on cheap units.
- Case metal. 316L steel is standard. Gold plating runs 3 to 5 microns and wears through at the lugs.
- Dial print. Look at the Roman numerals and the Cartier signature under magnification.
- Strap and clasp material, plus the spring bar type.
Price tiers
USD 60 to 120: mineral glass, printed dial, quartz or low-grade automatic. USD 150 to 350: sapphire crystal, cleaner dial print, 21,600 vph automatic. USD 400 and up: decorated movement, closer case profile, better bracelet or strap.
Price tracks the crystal and the movement. Case shape is where most copies give themselves away.
Legal status in the United States
A watch that carries the Cartier name or logo without Cartier's approval is a counterfeit good. US law bars import of such goods under 19 U.S.C. 1526, and Customs and Border Protection seizes and destroys shipments. A watch with no brand mark, sold as a generic round dress watch, falls outside that rule. The difference is the trademark, not the case shape.
Bottom line
Rotonde 4004 is a seller label for a Rotonde-style copy. Judge the watch on movement photos, caliper readings, crystal material and return terms. There is no Cartier caliber 4004 to compare against.